This invention relates to a combinatorial weighing apparatus. More particularly, it relates to a combinatorial weighing apparatus which is supplied manually with articles of various weights unsuited for automatic feed, which apparatus measures the weights of the respective articles and combines the measured weight values into a predetermined weight.
An automatic weighing apparatus based on a combination computing system (referred to as a "combinatorial weighing apparatus") includes a plurality of weighing machines. It operates by measuring the weights of articles automatically fed to the respective weighing machines, adding the actually measured weight values in each of an arbitrary or predetermined number of different combinations, comparing each resulting sum with a predetermined target weight, and selecting the combination whose weight sum is equal or closest to the target weight. In such combinatorial weighing apparatus, the distributive supply of the articles to the respective weighing machines, the computation for obtaining the best combination, the delivery of the articles belonging to the best combination, etc. are fully automatic. The apparatus can weigh the articles with great accuracy in a short period of time, and is especially suited to the combinatorial weighing of bulky articles such as vegetables, fruits and confectioneries.
Some kinds of articles, however, are not suitable for distributive supply. They are, for example, articles which have large volumes, articles which are likely to be damaged when supplied automatically and distributively, and articles which are viscous and poorly distributed. It has therefore been impossible to apply the known fully-automatic combinatorial weighing apparatus to the combinatorial weighing of such articles.